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The Heart of Innocence

Chapter 2 Intruders

Arc 1 Endless Repetition

The Heart of Innocence

Thank you everybody that has favorited this story! I honestly didn't expect such a following so quickly! Due to all the interest, I am putting this chapter out sooner than I had intended on working on it (don't sue me). I've got a lot of ground to make up with my Fracturing Skies timelines and meant to put out chapters of those before I returned to this, but since there's so much interest, I'll put another one out for this one first.

This is my first story where I am attempting a more comedic routine as opposed to the depressing angst that I tend to revel in. Hopefully you all find it amusing.

Without further ado, let's get going!

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Self thoughts

'Mental communication. Ichigo speaking'

'Mental communication. Zangetsu speaking.'

"Regular talking"

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Rated M for language, sex, and all manner of nonsense not meant for delicate eyes. If you continue reading this story, be prepared for strange visual anomalies and the intense urge to eat an entire loaf of white bread.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

No, seriously…

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THE HEART OF INNOCENCE

CHAPTER TWO: INTRUDERS

ARC 1: ENDLESS REPETITION

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"A-akuma?" Miranda queried cautiously from behind Ichigo. Sometimes he wished that she had a little more faith in herself, but a lifetime of 'bad luck' (more like people being rude assholes for no reason, in his opinion) had left its mark.

The white-haired boy named Allen nodded, a serious expression appearing on his face. "Yes. They're machines created by a person called the Millennium Earl that murder humans to get stronger. I'm an exorcist, someone that is trained to destroy akuma wherever I find them."

Zangetsu was watching Allen with an interested gaze, golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully. With a sudden grin, he asked, "How'd a Shortstack like you manage to get roped into that job?"

Allen's jaw dropped, and he ducked out from under Zangetsu's hold with an affronted glare. "My name is Allen," he snapped, much to Zangetsu's glee.

"Aww, looks like the beansprout has claws."

Ichigo sighed. "Knock it off, Zangetsu."

Miranda giggled, a dainty hand pressed to her lips as she slipped out from behind him. It was a sharp contrast to the tears streaking her face, but he much preferred it if she laughed instead of cried.

Zangetsu whined, "But he's so easy to tease!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, watching as Allen struggled to contain his irritation. He found himself not blaming the other boy for his frustration. Zangetsu's flights of fancy had driven lots of people nuts over the years.

"Leave him alone," Ichigo intoned.

"Tch. Killjoy." Zangetsu crossed his arms over his chest, pouting as he turned his head away from Allen. Ichigo sensed that his twin wasn't nearly as put out as he was acting, the other's true attention focused intensely on Allen instead…

Ah, so it's a test, then.

Allen sighed, releasing his tension with that simple exhale. "No, I should apologize for my behavior. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Ichigo smiled as Zangetsu's pleasure washed over him.

'I like him,' Zangetsu commented, stating the obvious.

'So do I.'

"Nah, he gets to everyone. I wouldn't worry about him unless he gets too vicious." Ichigo dismissed Allen's obvious shame with a wave of his hand.

'Finally, someone that doesn't take you too seriously.'

Zangetsu pointed at himself in mock hurt. "Me? I'm not vicious!"

'You're just upset that everyone loves my awesomeness.'

Allen glanced between Ichigo and Zangetsu, furrowing his brows. "Vicious?" At least he didn't scoot any further away from Zangetsu, even when the albino turned his manic grin towards the newcomer. The action didn't even prompt a horrified shudder. Ichigo was impressed, feeling the same sensation emanating from Zangetsu.

'If being awesome is demolishing a three-story building and nearly dragging me down with you, then I'll gladly pass.'

Miranda rubbed her palms together, adding, "H-he's not too bad. He just gets…over excited."

'Hey! That one wasn't my fault! If the window hadn't've fallen out, that never would have happened!'

'You took out the window, the frame around the window, along with half the adjacent wall, a good portion of the floor, and nearly the entire ceiling with that home-made cannon. I'm surprised the city council didn't have us thrown out of town after that one.'

'Worth it.'

Allen glanced at Zangetsu, silver eyes flickering towards his twin appraisingly, before his attention shifted to Miranda. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

'Uh oh, Shortstack stumbled upon Miranda's trigger."

"You're… thanking me? For something so…miniscule?" Miranda sniffed, her eyes getting misty once again.

Ichigo stepped closer, gently settling a hand on her shoulder in the hopes of staving off another one of Miranda's crying jags. He wasn't being subtle either, but Allen chose not to say anything, instead replying with a smile, "Of course. It's only polite to thank someone for giving out valuable information."

Zangetsu laughed, "You're too pure for this world, Shortstack."

"My name is Allen."

"How was my information valuable?" Miranda asked, face twisted in confusion. It was sad that she questioned her own self-worth so much. She wasn't nearly as worthless as she herself believed, but Ichigo was having a hard time getting her to see it. His dad helped in his own way, but it was still tough going.

Ichigo pulled her against his shoulder, replying with a chuckle and a small smile, "You gave him advice in dealing with the menace. That's always valuable."

"Take that back!" Zangetsu demanded with a shout, face screwed up in pretend rage. Ichigo had seen Zangetsu well and truly pissed off before. This wasn't anywhere close. More like the false anger he always demonstrated when dealing with their dad.

"Tch," Ichigo replied. "You know that you're a menace to deal with. Why are you griping at me?" Zangetsu stuck his tongue out in response. Ichigo rolled his eyes before looking back at Allen. The other boy was watching their game with mild amusement coloring his face, no longer appearing concerned at Zangetsu's antics. "Speaking of information, how about I buy you lunch? And we'll tell you about what is going on around here. Since this attack and your presence here is new, maybe you know something that we don't. Maybe you can help us stop it."

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Convincing Allen to join them for food turned out to be far easier than Ichigo had initially thought it would be, a companion of the white-haired stranger joining them at a nearby diner. Even Miranda stuck around, further surprising him, but the situation did involve all of them. He wouldn't have allowed her to duck out so easily even if she had insisted on staying away.

Maybe their efforts in boosting her self-esteem were helping? Certainly, the old Miranda never would have followed along without at least a token of resistance.

As Allen inhaled a mountain of food (Zangetsu seemed ill upon watching him and Ichigo couldn't help but feel awed at how much the other boy put away), Allen's associate, a girl named Lenalee Lee, asked, "From your perspective, how long has the town been experiencing the rewinding of time?"

She was cute, with pigtails pulling her dark hair back and brilliant violet eyes that seemed to draw him in. It was hard for him to believe that she was part of the same 'Black Order' group that Allen was in, another exorcist trained to stop those akuma monsters like the one from earlier, but there was something about the way that she held herself. She was a fighter, no matter how much he wanted to instantly deny it. It wasn't that he felt that women were inherently weak. It was just that she seemed too dainty on the surface to be much of a threat.

'Aww, are you smitten with the cute koneko already?'

'Shut up.'

Ichigo refrained from rolling his eyes at Zangetsu, knowing that neither Allen nor Lenalee would know that it was aimed at his twin and not at them. With them being the only other people he, Zangetsu, and Miranda had run into that had any clue about what was going on, he didn't want to chance offending either of them.

Ichigo tore his eyes from Lenalee, glancing at Zangetsu as he tried to parse how many cycles it had been already. It wasn't like he had paid all that close of attention after it had started and not seemed to stop. Such a detail didn't appear to be all that important until now.

Zangetsu cackled. "Forgot already, Aibou?"

Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest self-consciously, feeling a blush burn his cheeks, "I didn't think it was important to keep track of!"

Zangetsu's smile widened before he looked at Lenalee and answered, "It's been thirty days now." His twin glanced in his direction. "We should go get Glasses."

Ichigo shook his head in amusement at his twin's nickname for Uryu. "Why?" As far as he knew, only the three of them (him, Zangetsu, and Miranda) knew about the time loop, aside from Allen and Lenalee now.

"He knows about all of this, too." Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. "There were a few other things he had discovered as well, but apparently, he never got around to tracking you down and telling you." Zangetsu subtly glanced over his shoulder at the bar behind him, Ichigo feeling his twin's agitation through their connection.

'What's wong?' Aloud, Ichigo asked, "Why didn't you say something?"

"Tch, you know how Uryu is. If I had said something before he did, then you would have tracked him down to demand answers before he had finished learning everything he could, and then he would have chewed my ass. I wanted to save myself the headache of listening to him bitch." 'Those guys at the bar don't belong in town. Uryu noticed them shortly after the loop started since they were never following the same events like everyone else. He thought they might know something and wanted to ask them, but I don't like the feel of them.' Ichigo frowned, considering his twin's words. Zangetsu's instincts had never been wrong before, even if the men sitting at the counter appeared normal.

Ichigo sighed, "I suppose you're right."

"Who is this Uryu that you two are talking about?" Lenalee asked. She was leaning over the table, a glass of tea cradled in her hands. Beside her, Allen had finished eating, quickly stacking his plates to the side. Ichigo still couldn't believe the other boy had eaten so much.

"He's my cousin. He taught me everything that I know about shooting a bow using my mother's cross." He slid the cross dangling on his left wrist out of his shirt sleeve to show them before tucking it away again.

Lenalee sucked in a startled breath. "Are you two quincies?"

Allen handed his plates off to the server that came to take them before glancing at her in confusion. "What's a Quincy?"

"They're related to an old story told at the Order." Lenalee leaned back in her chair after setting her tea on the table. "Supposedly, they were a clan of innocence wielders that passed that capability off through blood. The story goes that all but a few were struck down by God for betraying the Order, the majority leaving and choosing to fight for the Earl. They were believed to have all been wiped out in a major battle shortly after the Order was founded."

Allen frowned, appearing distressed at that story. "How could a group of exorcists join the Earl? That doesn't make sense! They'd be turning against everything they should have been protecting!"

Lenalee shrugged. "It didn't make sense to me either. And I don't know if the story is necessarily true, just that it had been told." She dipped a finger into her tea, swirling the liquid around with her fingernail. "Quincies were renowned for using bows to destroy akuma. They were the only exorcists that used the same type of weapon across all their members, their innocence taking the shape of the five-pronged star that Ichigo has."

"He did help me destroy the akuma that attacked Miranda…" Allen mused aloud.

Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest, admitting, "Uryu called us the last quincies, but I didn't know what he had meant by that."

"Well, we can always use more exorcists, if you're willing to help us," Allen commented.

Ichigo exchanged a look with Zangetsu. His twin was growing more agitated, shifting in his seat to keep the men at the bar in his peripheral. Something was wrong. Glancing at Lenalee, he asked, "Do you know what my name means?" He didn't want to draw attention to whatever was bothering Zangetsu, in case those men caught wind of his twin's scrutiny.

Lenalee smiled. "It sounds like strawberry, but it actually means 'he who protects' or 'number one guardian', right?"

Ichigo sighed. Everyone called him strawberry. "Yes. I vowed to myself after my mother was killed that I would protect everyone that I could." He thought of his sisters. His failure in saving them. Never again. "If I can protect more people by joining your Black Order as an exorcist, then I'll gladly do it. I don't know if Uryu will come, too, but we can ask him."

Allen beamed at him, a bright smile on his face.

"If you and Uryu are exorcists, that would explain how you both know about the time loop, but what about Zangetsu and Miranda?" Lenalee asked. She picked up her tea and took another sip of it, eyes drifting between the table members in search of her answers.

Allen hummed thoughtfully. "Well, Zangetsu was fighting the akuma with us and dealt damage to it, so I'd say he's an exorcist, too."

"Wow, three exorcists in one town?!" Lenalee exclaimed. "That's unheard of to find so many accommodators in one area!"

Allen shrugged. "Well, I guess we put this one in the record books, since it's obviously true." Lenalee gave him a half-hearted glare. Ichigo could tell that she wasn't truly angry with the other boy's snark, more like having an exasperated fondness. Part of him was jealous of that although he couldn't really place why he would be…

'I wouldn't worry, Aibou. Shortstack isn't the least bit interested in her. She's all yours.'

'Don't make it sound so creepy.'

Zangetsu cackled in his mind.

"The only person we haven't explained is Miranda, then," Lenalee stated, rubbing her chin.

Allen crossed his arms over his chest. "Actually, she might be the one in contact with the innocence causing time to rewind."

"How do you figure?" Zangetsu challenged. While he was still distracted by the men at the bar, apparently, he was also paying attention to the conversation.

"That akuma asked Miranda about the innocence. It noticed that she was different than the rest of the townspeople." Allen frowned. "Unless you're a Quincy, too?"

Miranda shook her head. "Oh no, I'm not like Ichigo at all."

The men at the bar stood up, Zangetsu joining them on his feet, teeth bared at them in a snarl. Lenalee stiffened but didn't stand, not until Allen took a stance beside Zangetsu, his left arm transforming into the energy sword he had earlier. Ichigo rose, stepping in front of Miranda while Lenalee gently grabbed her arm and pulled her further behind them, tugging on his power with Zangetsu. Their transformation happened swifter than normal, the dark shadows rippling across his body nearly as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

The men at the bar started to mutate, their human bodies disintegrating, revealing monstrous forms that looked like something he would expect to see in a nightmare instead of reality.

"Lenalee, take Miranda and run. These level two's won't be able to catch up to you," Allen suggested.

"Okay, but be careful," Lenalee replied before she wrapped her arms around Miranda. Her legs glowed green, her footwear rising up her calves. She bent her legs and kicked off, disappearing in a burst of speed that quickly had him unable to follow where she had gone.

"What did you mean when you called them 'level two'?" Zangetsu asked Allen, summoning his sword to his right hand. Ichigo readied his bow, not exactly happy at taking the ranged role, even if he didn't see another way around it at the moment.

Allen answered without looking at his twin, "Akumas are classified by their level. Level two's are the strongest I've ever encountered. They're more powerful than the more common level one variant, each seeming to have unique abilities. And be very careful not to get hit by their bullets. Each one contains a deadly virus that will destroy your body within seconds."

"Noted," Zangetsu replied. His twin glanced back at him. "Ready, Aibou?"

Ichigo raised his bow. "Let's do this."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, this is turning into a full-on Bleach/D. Gray Man merger, lol. I haven't decided if it will be entirely from Ichigo's perspective, or if I'm going to bounce between people. Decisions…decisions…